Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is developing technologies to enable human life on Mars, and the Propulsion Technician (Starship) role involves building and testing propulsion assemblies for maximum reliability in extreme environments.

Responsibilities

  • Deliver state-of-the-art, high-quality propulsion.
  • Collaborate with engineering and leadership to achieve component delivery rate in a reliable manner.
  • Set the standard for a rigorous and efficient technician team by operating with high efficiency and utilization across a broad mix of products.
  • Perform work according to procedures, specifications and work/test instructions, and communicate daily work completion to report to leadership.
  • Execute daily precision manufacturing tasks, including assembling and fitting subassemblies for fluid systems.
  • Conduct proof pressure testing on assemblies and hi-pot electrical testing for insulation integrity.
  • Troubleshoot failure modes and collaborate with design, tooling, quality, and engineering teams to resolve technical issues.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
  • 1+ years of experience working in a manufacturing/assembly, welding, or testing role OR completion from a relevant trade school.
  • 3+ years of aerospace component testing experience preferred.
  • Trained in assembly or testing of propulsion, aviation or aerospace hardware.
  • High pressure testing knowledge.
  • High voltage testing knowledge.
  • A&P license preferred.
  • Experience and knowledge operating brazement furnace.
  • Experience working with thin-walled tubing.
  • Experience working with Inconel, titanium, aluminum, nickel, and stainless steel.
  • Knowledge of orbital tube welding (OTW).
  • Lean manufacturing (5S) knowledge and experience.
  • High attention to detail for safety and accuracy of testing procedures.
  • Experience with pressure/temperature/flow measurement devices and mechanical/electrical systems.
  • Strong mathematical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
  • Basic computer experience.
  • Ability to effectively communicate with engineering and production teams at all levels.
  • Ability to work autonomously or as part of a team.

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Must be able to travel to other sites if needed.
  • Must be able to lift 50lbs assisted and stand for extended periods of time.
  • Must be able to work first shift (~4:00am – ~2:30PM) or second shift (~2:30PM – ~1:00AM).
  • Must be able to support overtime and weekend work requests.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO

How this job compares in Hawthorne, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $31/hr, this posting comes in about 15% below the $36/hr median for welding jobs in Hawthorne, CA, where the middle half runs $31–$58/hr across 40 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 5% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Hawthorne, CA

We're tracking 40 other active welding openings in Hawthorne, CA right now, from 6 different employers. 18 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 650 other active welding openings from 315 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Hawthorne, or widen the search to California.

SpaceX currently has 33 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (33), Honeywell Aerospace (16), and Aerotek (13). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Santa Ana at $53/hr, Redondo Beach at $51/hr, and Long Beach at $42/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Hawthorne, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Propulsion Technician (Starship) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.